Mum who wasn't allowed painkilling injections for cerebral palsy until she lost weight has changed her life after shedding five stone

Julie Fitton, 53, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy – a condition that affects movement and balance caused by a brain development problem – when she was a baby.

She lived with daily pain and mobility issues, and had been told by her GP she couldn’t have painkilling injections until she lost weight. But she says joining a weight loss group changed her life.

“After losing five stone, people ask me what’s my secret? I say it’s no secret, it’s Slimming World,” said Julie.

Julie’s biggest challenge was walking through the doors of the Slimming World group. She says she was scared of that first meeting even though her daughter Sophie also went along.

She said: “When I joined my local Slimming World, it took a lot to walk through the doors because I thought I would be judged but everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

"I thought I would be weighed in front of the whole group, told what to eat and be give a weight I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was weighed privately, my weight was confidential, and I chose my own target weight.”

Small changes to shopping and eating habits

Julie joined Slimming World in August 2021 weighing 17st 8.5lbs and by October 2022 she had lost five stone.

She said she didn’t find it easy instantly; her husband had always done the cooking and he was used to cooking with oil, adding fats and using ready made sauces.

Just by making small changes to the way the couple shopped, cooked and ate, Julie lost a stone by her second month. She started to batch cook some of her favourite meals such as sausages in balsamic vinegar and creamy chicken pasta.

‘My doctor cannot believe it is the same person’

Julie also rediscovered her love of swimming.

She added: “After about six months of being a member, I had lost more than two and a half stone. I was able to move around more without feeling out of breath and my balance improved. Now felt like the perfect time to join the local gym. I really enjoyed that first swim and I managed about 15 laps. Six months on, I am swimming four or five times a week and 40 to 70 laps at a time. I feel fitter and more energetic than I have felt for years.

"I have improved my mobility, decreased medications and I am now ready to have the injections. My doctor cannot believe it is the same person when he sees me! I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of my group, they have helped me find ways to get through the tough times.”

Slimming World consultant Natalie Meadows said: “Julie struggled to walk when she first joined and used a walking stick, now she doesn’t need that stick anymore. It’s a real pleasure to have her as part of the group and she was recently awarded Woman Of The Year by her fellow members because she inspires so many others.”

A recent study by Slimming World revealed that trying to lose weight alone without telling anyone is not effective. So it’s no surprise in a poll of members, 87 per cent of members who tried to lose weight in secret before joining a Slimming World group said they had been more successful since joining a group. The poll also found 73 per cent valued the support of other members and 90 per cent said the accountability of a private weekly weigh-in was a key factor in losing weight successfully.

For more details about Natalie’s Slimming World groups, call 07823771318.